As the terrorists scramble in the aftermath of their failed attempt to kill Jaffrey in Episode 5 of Slow Horses season 5, they recalibrate their strategy upon learning of Gimball's demise. Believing they can still execute their plan if they stand together, they push forward with renewed determination.
However, River is not so sure about his future as he nervously changes in an alleyway while JK sits nonchalantly in the passenger seat, eating cherries. Meanwhile, Diana briefs Claude on Tara's background, revealing that her parents fled Tripoli, Libya during the 2011 coup and settled in the UK before ultimately moving to Paris. Tara, a model student with no criminal record, returns after a year.
As Emma Flyte interviews Tara, the latter shakily reveals that she was forced by the terrorists to seduce Roddy Ho, who had her logged in and instructed her through a psychological profile on what to do and how to behave. Tara manages to input a code into the MI5 database while Roddy had her logged in, and Emma is able to extract the code from her.
Elsewhere, Shirley and Catherine report back to Jackson Lamb on their activities and confirm that Jaffrey was indeed the real target. Despite this knowledge, Jackson is aware that the destabilization was aimed at removing a populist leader, and Gimball still fits the bill. Jackson is furious with JK and River for what really happened and though he won't report them to the Park, he wipes his hands with them both and walks off, leaving them in the dust.
He approaches Diana and Claude to discuss the destabilization theory and its use against the MI5, spinning the truth slightly by highlighting that his men attempted to stop, rather than cause, the murder. However, the plan's next phase involves "blinding the enemy," and it seems the target may indeed be air traffic control. While Claude is quick to dismiss these claims, Diana takes the theory seriously and presents it in writing to Emma, who in turn shares it with Tara. Tara's interest is piqued, and her demeanor changes. These individuals belong to a Libyan cultural group with whom she became entangled, and they convince her that Britain owes her sanctuary because they destroyed her country.
These individuals prey on those who are disillusioned and frustrated, wanting to help "educate people about what Britain did" to them. When Tara refuses to go through with it, they threaten her with a gruesome analogy of bodies raining from the sky. Diana realizes this is a threat against British airspace (which supports the idea of air traffic control) and sets out to resolve the situation. As for Claude, he listens to Tara's words and realizes she has a way of contacting the Libyans.
It turns out that she is supposed to meet them at midnight at Piccadilly Circus, where she will retrieve a code taped to the inside of a bin, detailing a tube journey she needs to take. The idea is to ensure she is not followed at all times, leading her right to the terrorist group. However, throughout this "alone" time, she will also be followed by the MI5, who will try and ensure she is not hurt. Claude promises nothing will happen to her, and eventually, she concedes.
There is a tracker in her coat, and Emma will be watching over the operation from the frontlines, but she is not entirely sure this is the right play. Diana echoes these sentiments as well.
As the fallout from the recent events echoed through the halls of the Park, Jackson sets out to seek Molly's guidance. The once-invaluable member of the team now rests at home, her days at the Park a distant memory. Yet, with a hunch that the matter at hand entwines with an old case, he turns to her for assistance.
Meanwhile, Tara is dispatched to the field in a mission that the Slough House crew soon realizes is a calculated part of a destabilization strategy, a hand in the intrigue from the very start.
As this unfolds, Diana and Roddy Ho delve into the purpose of the code Tara had employed on the MI5 database. As the group's suspicions mount that the code may be more sinister than they initially thought, it sets off a chain reaction that proves disastrous. The entire MI5 system crumbles under its own weight, compromised and corrupting, its reach extending beyond control. In fact, every system within the Park goes dark, leaving them blind and adrift.
Tara's escape from MI5 becomes a testament to her involvement in this web of deceit, her role as one of the terrorists exposed in the most unsettling light.
